Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly stepped down as prime minister in January, saying she no longer had ‘enough in the tank’ to do the job justice.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Hipkins meets people on the street in Auckland ahead of the polls opening in the country’s general election
Her departure left Chris Hipkins, 45, to take over as prime minister. He had previously served as education minister and led the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Luxon will need support from the libertarian ACT Party and possibly also from the New Zealand First party led by Winston Peters, 78, a veteran political maverick who this year has found support among disaffected voters including some conspiracy theorists.
Within days of taking the reins in January, Mr Hipkins found himself dealing with a crisis after New Zealand was hit by deadly floods and then a cyclone. He quickly jettisoned some of Ms Ardern’s more contentious policies and promised a “back to basics” approach focused on tackling the spiralling cost of living.